A History of MEMS Sensors & Actuators

(Click graphic to open chart in pdf)

Notes from the original print by NovaSensor, circa 1990:

The overwhelming progress in microelectronics during the last two decades
has significantly affected the lifestyle of our generation. This progress
was primarily noticeable in information processing power. It also created
a gradually increasing need for sensing real world information including
such mechanical variables as temperature, pressure, acceleration and force.
Solid-state sensor technology was found to be capable of providing the
technical solutions at the required price in production volumes.

This Genealogy Chart provides a brief history of the leading micromachining
and solid-state sensor companies which brought the technology to its present
status. It acknowledges our intellectual debt to the accumulated experience
of the many researchers and technologists who have laid the groundwork
which made silicon micromechanics possible. We deem the pioneering work
of Bell Laboratories, Kulite Semiconductor, Honeywell, Fairchild, IBM,
Stanford, UC Berkeley, and the University of Michigan of particular importance.

The founders of NovaSensor believe that the efforts outlined in the Genealogy
chart has produced a critical mass of technology and customer interest
sufficient to make the next ten years "The Decade of Micromachined Sensors".
NovaSensor was created in late 1985 as the first company in the world with the
objective of bringing the state-of-the-art in silicon micromechanics to volume
applications. Our key personnel came from two distinctively areas; we have
merged the best academic micromachinists and the best industrial technologists
into one efficient, result-oriented team. This combination allows our customers
to inspire NovaSensor to product innovation resulting in year 2000 technology
today.

Comments on the edited version, (Gupta, April 2003):

The original chart was designed for solid-state sensors, primarily
crystal-silicon bulk micromachined pressure sensors. A few items
which reflect the development of microactuators, such as
Texas Instrument's Digital Light Projection (TM), have been added.

A future update will include the development of accelerometers and
printer inkjets. Accelerometers evolved over the 1980's and into
the following decades, involving companies such as Analog Devices,
Motorola, and Bosch in Germany. Inkjet heads for printers have
charted an even more explosive growth.

"MEMS" is an evolution of basic sensor and actuator technology, and today
encompasses most aspects of micromachining based on photolithography for materials
extending beyond simply crystal silicon and polysilicon micromachining. The
work which has been done in the last decade in areas outside of traditional
silicon-based MEMS is enormous. This chart is neither current, nor exhaustive,
and any suggestions for additions are welcome. Comments can be emailed to
volant@mindspring.com.